Method of producing illustrations and reproducing same.



A. F. GIDDINGS. METHOD OF PRODUCING ILLU STRATIQNS AND. REPRODUCING SAME.

Patented Mar. 4,1919.

etched. plate, the

ALBERT F. GIDDINGS, OF CHICAGO, ILLlINOIS.

METHOD OF PRODUCING ILLUSTRATIONS AND REPRODUCING Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 15, 1915. Serial No. 50,753.

To aZZcc/wm it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. GIDDINGS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Producing Illustrations and Reproducing Same, of which the following is a full, scription.

Heretofore etchings were mostly made on copper plates, and only a limited number of satisfactory copies thereof could be made. These copies or prints reversed the position of the lines on the plate, and when it was desired to reproduce the etched' picture with clear, and exact dethe lines in the print in the same relative I righthand or lefthand position as in the prints were'made on very thin transparent paper through which the lines could be seen, and the print Wasmounted with the reverse side of the print exposed to view.

The objects of my invention are, primarily, to provide a comparatively simple metlio which is capable of being used by either expert or amateur; which can be practised by simple and inexpensive means that are easily procurable, and which can be utilized to make a copy of a picture, or for laying out an original sketch. Another'object of my invention is to enable the heavy lines of the first layout to be reduced, and yet another is to prevent the developing of the photographic copy too quickly so that the relative values of the heavy and light lines can be brought out. Another object of my improved method is to enable photographic prints of the picture produced to be made in any number. These and other ob jects l accomplish by the means hereinafter described, and as particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, which are made for the purpose of illustrating the means whereby my invention can be practised: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a frame in which the materials used in my improved method are placed in such manner as to displ? their relative positions. a

igs. 2, 3 and 4 are diagrammatrcal views showing the relative positions of said materials during difierent steps thereof.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a common form of etching tool.

The most convenient way of practising my improved method is to use an ordinary rectangular frame A that has a fairly strong backing B dinal slot G in one side-member of said frame to permit the insertion of the sheets of materials employed by said method in front ofsaid backing.

This kind of a frame will permit an artist or an amateur to insert a suitable piece of paper in the frame and make a sketch on it, or to insert therein a picture or photograph a, when reduced to the proper size, and when this has been done to insert over the sketch or picture a sheet of film D which has on the outer surface thereof a thin coating of nonactinic material, say, a solution 6, of about two per cent. (2%) asphaltum and ninetyeight per cent. (98%) turpentine to make it opaque or at least translucent. A tool 0 made of steel orother suitable metal, that has a bent sharp point, is then used to scratch or remove lines of said solution from the outer surface of the film in such manner as to copy or to produce the desired outlines and shade lines of the sketch or picture under the same; it being understood that the translucency of the film and; the coating of solution I) is such as to enable the operator to see the picture Withsuiiicient distinctness to cop the same.

If desired, a piece of sensitive photographic paper oi may be inserted immediately back of the film, in a dark room, after the picture it is desired to reproduce has been scratched on the film, and afterward exposed to the light and a positive photographic print tnade therefrom, or if desired. a. piece of sensitive photographic paper may be placed under the film, in a dark room, before the coated side of the film has been scratched and then taken into the light and an original sketch scratched on the coated side of the film. in. this event the development of the photographic copy would keep pace with the development of the sketch.

hen the sketch has been completed as many photographic copies X as desired can be made, and each will be as clear cut and Patented Mar. 4, i919.

and is provided with a longitudistinct as the others. in this respect, my

made, and. even then the prints so obtained are the reverse of the etching, and inorder to obtain the same right and left effect the prints are made on very thin transyjmrent ill) paper, or other material, so that the lines of the picture can show through the same.

.When a photographic print is made of the sketch on a film which has only the outer surface thereof coated with solution?) the lines are apt to be very black and heavy and the delicate tracery used'to soften and shade the heavy lines 1s likely to be blurred. This is due to the quick developing of the picture in the photographic copy. lhis I overcome by coating the inner surface of the film With a non-actinic translucent" material 9, of, say, lamp black and I turpentine, throughwhich it takes the light rays longer to passand thus bring out the heavy and fine lines in their'proper relation and at the right artistic values.

In view of the fact that the lines made in v the manner hereinbefore set forth on the outer surface of the film may be made Wider and, therefore, heavier than the artist desires, and a more satisfactory result would result if, on the print struck therefrom, said lines could be made to appear narrower, I prefer to coat both sides of the film; and after scratching the picture on the front side thereof turn the film over and place it over a backing of suitable material having a white or light colored surface so as to make the scratched lines on. the front surface clearly visible and then trace the lines of-ithe picture on the rear side to make tliem narrower to obtain the coveted artistic effect onthe photographic copv struck therefrom.

rename The inner surface of the film can then be coated with the translucent material and the proper photographic copy obtained.

What I claim as new is:

1. A method of producing illustrations consisting of first coating a film or plate upon both sides with a dark translucent materi'ahand then scratching a drawing upon .one side thereof with a suitable instrument,

and then scratching on the reverse or opposite side of the plate or film by a similar instrument to increase or decrease the intensity or Width of the lines so produced upon the positive photographic printstruck from said film.

2. A method of producing illustrations 'consistinof first coating a film or plate upon both sideswith a translucent material that is adapted to be removed by a suitable ALBERT r. em ires .-Witnesses; A

. FRANK D. THoMAsoN,

FLoRErIoE MITCHELL. 

